Another protagonist
by lucky7777
Summary: 4 people, four gamers and each reacts differently. When faced with the world suddenly acting like a RPG, people are bound to act a little...odd.


**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY**

**Another protagonists (Ruby) ****  
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When you wake up seeing titles above people's head you kind of freak out a bit.

"Eek!" I yelped.

"Ruby! What is it?" My uncle Qrow asked worriedly.

My hands shook as I pointed above his head and he looked up in confusion.

"You're not playing a trick on me are you? We're on a camping trip Ruby. We haven't got time to play games. There's a lot scheduled for you today so you better focus."

"But but but,"

"C'mon, morning run time." He yanked me forwards and I had to sprint to keep up.

Minutes passed before a blue window jumped at me.

**Through continuous running your stamina has increased by one!  
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I almost fell over in shock.

_What the heck does that mean?_

We went over the morning drills with my head still in the clouds. I couldn't help but stare in fascination at uncle Qrow's title, it moved along with him like it was attached to his head or something. I'm pretty sure uncle Qrow thought I lost a few marbles when he caught me staring at him for the fifth time. I thought I was still dreaming but lunchtime arrived and it was still there!

Let's just say I had an awkward lunch with uncle. Well, more awkward than usual at least.

Later back at home, I sneakily checked my surroundings making sure I was alone. I didn't want to get caught doing something weird. Especially Yang, what would she even say!

After a final check, I ransacked my room to find my very old and very dusty game cartridge. I can't even remember the last time I touched this thing.  
>I did play it once when I was younger and it had similar stuff in it. Now what were the words?<p>

"Status window."

_No freaking way!  
><em>  
>A window appeared floating in front of me. It had my skill stats and everything!<p>

"Oh! Five shiny new points. Where to put them."

Well, I always used my speed to fight so why not improve that.

Except I had no idea what some of these words meant. What did DEX and VIT stand for? I could guess the others easily enough, LUK being luck or STR being strength.

"Yang would know, she loves playing games."

I dashed quickly towards Yang's room, status window trailing me as I did so.

_I will never get used to that._

Bursting into the room without knocking on the door I spoke.

"Hey sis, what does DEX and VIT in games stand for?"

"Huh Ruby?" she paused her school work. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh you know," I said while scratching my arm. "Just curious."

"Really?" she said surprised. "DEX means dexterity and VIT means vitality. What they do change from game to game but in general vitality increases your health and dexterity increases your skill at certain things."

"So if I wanted to increase my speed I would have to increases my DEX?"

"Well," Yang said drawing out the l, "depends on the game." Her eyes drifted down and saw the cartridge in my hand. "Ah, I remember that game," she smiled fondly. "I beat it in 6 hours. You giving it a try are you?"

"Maybe..." I might need to play it just to know what's going on with me.

"I'll help set it up for you if you want to. My nostalgic bells are ringing and I kinda wanna see if it was good as I remembered."

"Sure, no prob sis. I'll call you later."

I left her room while staring at her title. Goldilocks eh, I suppose it fits her with how blonde she is.

Once in my room again, I put all my points into DEX.

"I'm going to be the fastest Huntress ever!"

* * *

><p><strong>Another Protagonists (Weiss) <strong>  
>"Thank you Miss Schnee! I don't know what I would've done without it," said NPC student number 56.<p>

"No need to mention it," I said happily. "I had my own reward in partaking this task."

"Thank you anyway."

I watched the black silhouette shuffle off and I turned towards the window.

**Congratulations! You have completed a quest. 20000 EXP Gained! Reputation among student body increased by one!**

That quest was not difficult by my usual standards but relatively speaking it gave out a vast amount of experience. I closed the window with a light tap and carried on my many side quests. As I walked, I scrolled through the list. Among them one of them stood out to me.

I found Jaune at the cafeteria with Pyrrha. They were laughing about something and I walked slowly towards them.

"Hey Jaune, you want me to help you train?"

"Huh?" He blinked owlishly at me before realising I was being serious. "Oh! Uh um. Yeah!" He smiled. "I would love to-"

"Jaune already has me helping him," cut in Pyrrha. "I specialise in weapons he's more familiar with so I would be the better teacher. Don't you agree?"

"I don't doubt that," I replied genially. "However, my skill with the rapier is nothing to look down on. I'm sure I will quickly adapt to a sword and shield style."

"Maybe," Pyrrha conceded. "but I have experience and you still need time to adjust. Time would be wasted while waiting for you to catch up."

It might be strange that I decided to help Jaune out of the blue, but the experience gained from completing the quest is enormous.

"I must insist in helping out. Maybe I could join your training sessions and point out topics Pyrrha might miss."

"Yeah! That would be great!" Jaune excitedly said. "I'll get stronger way quicker with both of you helping out."

Pyrrha sighed. "...yeah"

"Pyrrha, you OK?" asked Jaune.

"Just fine, Jaune." He looked at her a second longer before shrugging.

"We'll catch you tonight at the rooftop. Maybe afterwards we could go out to eat maybe?"

"We'll see." I replied. Depends if there's a quest with it.

Nights passed and my reputation swelled. I was getting requests from a large majority of the students but I only picked the ones the best ones. It wasn't until later that Ruby confronted me about it.

I was in my room going over my inventory.

Ruby, spotting me as she entered, hesitantly strode towards me.

"Hey Weiss," started Ruby. "How's it going!?"

"It's going well Ruby." I was in the middle of another quest. This time I had to collect certain items.

"Well that's just great, say uhh, lately I've been a bit worried about you. It's not just me, Blake, Yang and even Jaune and his team are concerned as well."

"Whatever is wrong?" Did I accidentally set off a poisonous flag?

"It's just, you haven't been like yourself recently." Ruby waved her arms frantically. "Not that you're not great now. You're so much nicer these days."

What was she going on about?

"I mean lately, you've been helping a lot of people with all these small things. Just yesterday an upperclassman wanted me to thank you for finding his lost weapon and that's really admirable." She paused gathering her thoughts. "But you haven't really been you."

"Huh?"

"The Weiss I partnered with was snooty and stubborn, but she was proud of what she is. Now it's like you're not all there. Like you've been trailing after some goal. And well, you haven't really hung out with the team in a while. I guess I'm just worried that you're ignoring us and that you might end up feeling lonely."

I-I can't believe I never noticed this. I was isolating myself from everyone. Only talking to people to gain exp. I wanted to be the most powerful huntress to prove to my dad I didn't need his connections.

When I first gained my ability halfway through the first semester I thought I was going crazy. That the stress of being the Schnee heir made my mind faulty. I soon realised that no I wasn't insane or mentally ill.

This was a genuine representation of the world in numbers.

Soon all these quests popped up and I curiously accepted them. When I felt myself grow stronger, it was a rush incomparable with anything I had experienced. I wanted more, my obsession led me to further my ambitions. The world around me faded.

"Ruby, I'm sorry."

"Wah, no! You chose to do this! You've helped a lot of people!"

"But that wasn't me." My voiced tinted with anger filled the room. "It was some shade of me that I let out. I've neglected one of my main reasons for attending Beacon for some arbitrary goal in my mind."

"Your reasons?"

"Yes," I shakily said. "I wanted to meet new people. People who would be there for me not because of the Schnee name or because I'm rich but because we were friends."

"Oh Weiss, we are good friends. I'll always be there for you OK."

"Thank you Ruby."

**Another protagonists (Blake) ****  
><strong>  
>"For those just tuning in, police remain in confusion over the latest theft of books. Large volumes of printed work ranging from ancient tomes to children stories had been stolen by this mysterious thief. Questions remain as to the purpose of such an act. I have expert psychologist Sigmund Freud here to give his opinion on the matter."<p>

I switched the television off with a flick of the remote. I was in heaven. All around my room were rows of books as high as the ceiling. It was a hassle to steal but I couldn't help but pull them out of my inventory. I gleefully skipped to the first copy titled "Young Samurai" and began devouring it.

Not literally of course.

Instead I tapped the **Yes **button and I felt the rush of knowledge flow into me.

Instantly I knew the art of Battōjutsu as if I was trained from childhood.

"One down, many to go."

It wasn't until later Adam barged into my room. He was about to speak but was stopped short by the large pile of books in front of him.

"Blake I know you like books but this is excessive."

He went over to pick a nearby book.

"Wait, isn't this one of the books that was stolen?"

"It is." I replied. He gave no response "Adam?"

"So you stole thousands of books because?"

"Right I haven't told you yet. I'm consuming them."

"You're...consuming them."

"That's right."

"Am I the only here that sees the issue with this? You can't eat paper Blake."

You can eat paper. It just wouldn't taste good.

I stopped my first response from coming out. Instead I said something else.

"Oh I'm not eating them I'm absorbing their knowledge."

That funny look appeared on his face again; the face that said I'm confused because you're being stupid. "You're reading them?"

"No Adam I'm not _reading_ them I'm _absorbing _them."

He gave me a stare flatter than a pancake and rubbed his temples.

"I'm too tired to deal with this. Just prepare for our mission. We're leaving in half an hour."

**A quest has been created! Join Adam and infiltrate the enemy base! Reward: 123454321 EXP, increase closeness with the White Fang.  
>Failure: Imprisonment, death or buying milk depending on time of failure.<strong>

I do like milk. That of course has nothing to do with me being a cat faunus.

Nope, not one bit.

"Sure," I replied. Quest accepted, I began eating my books again.

It was a shame but I couldn't eat all my books in time. There were some that had requirements outside of my range so I decided to level as fast as I can to get the necessary prerequisite. Although the White Fang fought for Faunus, there were rival organisations that took up some of our resources. Our job was to sabotage them and destroy them from the inside.

"It's time Blake."

I nodded before activating one of my shiny new skills.

"Obscure." I whispered. My image faded as if I was a ghost.

Adam, for his part didn't react, but I was sure I crashed whatever cognitive functions he had.

I didn't wait for him to reboot though and strode into the skyscraper.

Mission start.

"That wasn't a bad mission at all." We were back in my room. The towers of books had now dwindled into a more reasonable level but I still had trouble manoeuvring around.

Adam was still quiet. Being the silent guy is cool and all but he doesn't really make the best conversationalist.

"I know you had already explained to me how you powers work," Adam started. "But I'm wondering where you even managed to find a skill on fighting with bananas."

"Banana fighting by B. Anna. Quite the good read.

"Right and the singing?"

"According to a book I had eaten, singing raises your ability to focus. It worked didn't it, none of them even touched me."

"I think they were more stunned that you were singing 'Let it go' while stabbing them with your sword."

I shrugged. Adam was being pedantic again.

"And the part with the demons crawling from the ground?"

"Monster summons." I replied. "Turns out some ancient faunus tried some ritual pact. It worked in the sense that he summoned demons but he couldn't bind them to his will."

"You knew that and did it anyway?"

"I knew how to put them back," I defended. "Another book said that I needed to throw salt at it to send it back into the underworld."

"That would explain why you were trying to fuse some sodium and chlorine together. Although I'm pretty sure you killed off all wildlife within a 10 mile radius."

I snorted. "Don't be dramatic, it was only 5 miles. Maybe. It's fine anyway, we were near Grimm territory so it's like taking two birds with one stone. Incidentally, I actually have a skill called that though substitute stone with meteor."

He was being silent again. That gets old real fast Adam.

"Adam?"

"Sorry, it's just your out of character moments are throwing me off."

"Oh! That's because the author couldn't think of an idea which required my canon personality so he threw some exaggerated ooc in hopes of entertaining some people."

"I heard the words you said but I have no idea what they mean."

"Oh Adam so ignorant." I petted him.

He growled at me like a dog.

**Another protagonists (Yang)****  
><strong>

I tiredly trudged forward into our wrecked dormitory. Ruby was sleeping peacefully, exhausted from the never ending battles and unaware of the world falling apart as she rests.

The brilliant moon so common to every passing night was shattered completely into pieces smaller than pebbles. The ground shook as if giants fell from great heights. The wondrous blue sky was an impossible shade of red.

And I couldn't do anything to stop it.

I failed.

I failed the quest.

"Hahaha." I couldn't help but laugh. I was so lost, overwhelmed at my idiocy. I was the amazing gamer. The invincible protagonists who'll solve everything in the end but I couldn't live up to the title.

I couldn't even protect my little sister.

I tried and tried to stop Cinder but I was too late. All the stolen dust were used in one giant explosion and she wiped out the moon just like that. That began everything, Grimm became more powerful, more monstrous and more dangerous. Their wait ended and now the war began. Mutated Grimm from every species were descending on Beacon academy now.

My legs wouldn't hold my weight. My hands fell to the ground.

All these skills I've developed, all these points in my stats.

They were all useless.

I am no hero.

I'm not a protagonist.

"I guess, this is how it's supposed to end." My hand ran through Ruby's hair affectionately. "Your silly big sister at the end of the world. The moon crumbling behind her as the planet shakes its feet in terror." I wiped away a tear. "Silly me, I was meant to go to school, do my homework; not stand when the world empties itself. Ruby, you were supposed to have a future, a home to return to, adventures to live through and maybe even a family." I paused tucking away a stray lock of hair. "Here you are because you moved in the only direction you can."

I sat down on the ground with my back to the crumbling wall.

"We would've been the best huntresses you know?" I smiled wanly. "I just know it, the four kingdoms would argue with each other to hire us and we would secretly laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Our faces would be on posters inspiring the newest generation and kids would be asking for our autographs. You would rattle on and awkwardly deal with the adoration but I knew you would have been h-happy. A-and you would turn to me with the b-brightest smile on your face and I would have made some stu-stupid pun that will make you cringe but you'll laugh anyway."

I didn't stop the stem of tears flowing down my cheek.

"That would have been the future we had. Would had. Should had. Won't have..." My voice quietened as I spoke.

A cold wind blew across the cracks on the wall.

"Weiss would inherit her dad's company and she'll always be busy. Somehow even then, I know you would just barge into her life. She'll try and act all annoyed but inside deep down in her heart she will be grateful for such a good friend. Weiss needs people like you."

I looked back at the red sky again. The light shined a faded dull orange on me.

"Blake would carry on fighting for faunus. She might not succeed soon but in my hearts of hearts I know people from both races will look back one day and wonder why we've been so stupid to fight against each other like that. I know she'll work herself to death over it so make sure she doesn't go overboard OK? You're the team leader, it's your job to take care of us."

I crawled back up to my feet.

"I hope you forgive me this once though. Your sister wants to protect you now."

I gave her a light kiss on her forehead and left.

I stood alone in the clearing, Beacon behind me.

The monsters clawed, sneered and growled. Nevermores, Ursas, Beowolves and Goliaths of huge sizes rushed at me.

"That's right! Come at me!" I screamed. "Come together for the final dance! There is no encore or extension! This is simply the end!"

I released all my stored up energy and charged at the first Grimm.

I knew this was my final fight, that my life would end here but I have to carry on.

Not because I am the gamer, but because I have people to protect.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Ruby's story was basically me when I was younger, except replace DEX with STR. Yeah the most complex plan I could come up with at the time was bash the enemies as hard as I can. So essentially it's about what happens when noobs play games.

Weiss was on the idea of what happens if the protagonists focus completely on side quests. I heard a story once where while the protagonists was busy fetching items to get some reward, the evil villain was killing off people. So yeah, in real life time doesn't stop for you patiently like in games.

Blake was completely a humour fic. Originally Weiss' story would be 100% humorous but then Ruby's conversation happened. This was written to rectify that.

Yang was written that way because I wanted to write other things. The gamer abilities would make a lot of people arrogant. It has so much potential within it that you can't help but feel powerful. Trouble is that since you're the main character in the game, you're obliged to take part in world changing events. You mess up and the world pays. Yang isn't the most forward thinking character, I would imagine that she got taken advantage of by Cinder and while Yang won the battle she lost the war.

Might be sequel where I do Team JNPR version as well. Depends if I feel the motivation to do so.

Go to my profile page if you want to see more on my thoughts.


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